Wat Phra Sing is situated at the junction of Sam Lan and Singharat Roads in the heart of Chiang Mai city. The original wat chedi was built in the fourteenth century (circ. 1337-55) by King Pha Yu and was named Wat Li Chiang Phra. However, all of the buildings remaining today date from the early nineteenth century. Much of the restoration work was only recently carried out.
The site of Wat Phra Sing is one of the focal points of the Songkran festivities each year from 13th – 15th April when people bathe the revered Phra Phutthasihing Buddha image. The senior abbot in Chiang Mai also resides at Wat Phra Singh and many other important Buddhist ceremonies take place here. This wat is well known for its fine examples of Lanna art. The wat compound includes the lovely Lai Kham chapel with its exquisite wooden carvings and northern-style murals. There is also a magnificent scriptural repository with striking bas-relief, where holy texts written into folding books made of \’bai lan\’ or \’sa paper\’ have been carefully preserved – these are a true gem of Lanna art. The rear wihan has some beautiful murals depicting scenes from every-day life set in the Lanna Kingdom hundreds of years ago. There is also a copy of the Phra Sihing Buddha Image housed here.